tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17555522.post428784373598207846..comments2008-08-07T18:59:08.040-07:00bwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541279438184352860noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17555522.post-10945159365214622282008-08-07T18:59:00.000-07:002008-08-07T18:59:00.000-07:00the pipestrel e-plane (taurus electro) has 46kg of batteries for 6kwh<BR/><BR/>http://cafefoundation.org/v2/pav_eas_2008.php<BR/><BR/>9th item on that page.<BR/><BR/>Taurus Electro - The Future Now: Ivo Boscarol &amp; Tine Tomazic, Pipistrel Aircraft, Slovenia<BR/><BR/>42 page power point presentation.<BR/><BR/>I will check out the Fanwingbwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541279438184352860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17555522.post-6440823320148567132008-08-07T17:35:00.000-07:002008-08-07T17:35:00.000-07:00If you want to get electric airplanes, FanWing may be a better design than motors on gliders. The FanWing can take off and land in just a few plane lengths. With gliders landing can take a long time because of the ground effect. <BR/><BR/>Sure the FanWing is ugly, and slow but if you could make an electric version that could carry 2- 4 people and go ~ 300 miles it would be awesome. The problem is weight, airplane design tries to minimize weight, and batteries still weigh a lot.<BR/><BR/>Now of course you could try beaming energy to the electric airplane but that seems expensive and maybe dangerous. Instead I think that Graphene Sky Ships (neo-dirigibles) could be the long haul transportation system of the future. <BR/>With graphene you get a material that is almost perfect for sky ships:<BR/>- very strong<BR/>- very tough<BR/>- light weight<BR/>- low gas permeability<BR/>- electrically conductive<BR/>And potentially photovoltaic. <BR/>Use hydrogen to store energy and provide lift and a fuel cell to generate power when needed.<BR/><BR/>We can do away with highways, train track, canals, sea ports and major airports, we can have a global transportation network with minimal infrastructure. <BR/><BR/>jim moorejimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865068658069680309noreply@blogger.com